By Najma Sambul
Parents in Melbourne’s inner north are concerned about redesigns removing play equipment from parks, as the City of Yarra floats plans for makeovers of two existing parks in Cremorne and Fitzroy.
The plans come after community furor over a recently completed park upgrade in Cambridge Street Reserve in Collingwood, where the council removed traditional plastic equipment for a “contemporary” design with a single swing and metal bars.
Priscilla Brown with sons Fletcher and Watson at Cambridge Street Reserve, Collingwood.Credit: Luis Ascui
A spokesperson for Yarra council said it was committed to providing quality playgrounds.
In Cremorne, the council is consulting on a plan to upgrade the playground at Charles Evan Reserve – which some residents say will provide less play equipment – as part of broader upgrades to the park.
Under the plans, the existing playground will be relocated to a shadier part of the reserve, removing the need for the large blue shade sail, and will include a combination play-equipment unit with an attached toddler slide, a basket swing, and “nature-play options”.
The playground currently has two swings, a traditional play unit with slides, and climbing frames.
One resident took to social media to blast the proposed design as a “shiny big downgrade to the play equipment there currently is”.
The council is also looking to upgrade another playground at Smith Reserve in Fitzroy, and said it would include “swings, a slide and multiple climbing structures” after community consultation was incorporated into the design, with residents requesting “fenced space, shade, and play options for more age groups”.
In its next council meeting, the council will consider the final concept plan for the upgrades.
Collingwood resident Priscilla Brown, a mum of two who lives on Cambridge Street, is part of a group of local parents who have been campaigning since last year for the council to reinstate traditional play equipment that “children will use” at the Cambridge Street Reserve.
A view of Cambridge Street Reserve in Collingwood before it was redesigned.
Brown said the recent debate about whether to upgrade the park with more suitable play equipment – which included calls from other residents to keep the redesigned park as is, geared away from children’s play – made her feel unheard and excluded as a mother.
“This constant sort of trying to make out that children are a minority, therefore they shouldn’t be considered, is really perplexing. It feels like it’s anti-children,” Brown said.
“Children don’t have a voice. We need to represent our children and the population is set to grow, and there’ll be an increase in demand for playgrounds,” she said. “Playgrounds are a really important space for mums, it’s where I have connected and made friends within the community.”
Another resident and mother, Sierra Lever, said she was shocked to see the concept plans for other playgrounds like Charles Evan Reserve lacking a variety of play equipment.
“You’d think Yarra council would learn from the Cambridge Reserve,” she said.
A spokesperson for the City of Yarra said the council was “committed to providing quality playgrounds” and pointed to its Play Space Strategy, which will “guide decision-making and priorities around play spaces for the next 10 years”.
The council will also consider creating a families and children advisory group at the next meeting in response to community feedback.
“The creation of council’s first-ever Play Space Strategy demonstrates our commitment to investing in the play needs of all our community,” the spokesperson said.
“We involved children in the first stage of the community engagement through targeted sessions with a range of age groups, as well activities during the in-person pop-up sessions.”